This trio of architects based in China, is making international waves with its particular ideas of architecture that puts people and the natural environment front and centre. No wonder they were named The Prodigy in 2022.
September 25th, 2022
If there was ever any doubt as to the talent of up-and-coming architects and designers that reside in the Indo-Pacific in 2022, then the INDE.Awards shortlist for The Prodigy this year showcases the incredible calibre of creatives that is dominating the region.
With an expanded group in 2022, seven exciting and inspirational rising stars of architecture and design contended for the ultimate accolade of The Prodigy and congratulations go to Sean Shen, Xuanru Chen and Yu-ying Tsai of ZJJZ based in China, winners of this coveted award.

Supporting The Prodigy, Milliken applauds the INDE.Awards winner and indeed the shortlist for their impressive talent that is making waves right around the region. With an understanding that even the best architects and designers benefit from the spotlight on a global stage, Milliken is ensuring that talent is recognised through The Prodigy, looking to the future of design, and helping to make the journey for the next design stars a little easier.
As Shaneel Deo, managing director, Milliken comments, Sean Shen, Xuanru Chen and Yu-ying Tsai have “the courage to believe in themselves and forge their own destiny through establishing ZJJZ. This shows the strong character of the team and provides a wonderful platform for the practitioners to realise their vision of architecture and the connection to nature.”

Since establishment of the practice in 2017, ZJJZ has been making a huge impact not only in China but around the world. The trio of Shen, Chen and Tsai see architecture as a structure that coexists with people and nature and design their projects according to this idea as Deo reflects, “The winning entry and the future of design in the region showcases the interaction and connectivity of design and nature in harmony.
“The idea of romancing and shaping architecture itself with the likelihood of people joining in activities in these spaces brings out the experiential and memorable experience that the designer wants to achieve for the occupant/user. In addition, the use of natural elements that is more prevalent in the designs within the region, signifies an environment that is more natural in manner.”
Designs by ZJJZ are in sync with the natural surroundings as sustainability is integral to the ethos of the practice. In this, Milliken is an advocate for a global sustainable environment within its business both now and looking to the future. As Deo explains, “At Milliken, our philosophy is ‘Possibility with Purpose’, because a positive and sustainable impact is what we focus on in everything we do, from design to manufacturing to how we connect with the community we work in.”

As supporter of The Prodigy, Milliken and the 2022 The Prodigy winner are like-thinkers, perfectly paired in ideas, process and result.
Congratulations to Sean Shen, Xuanru Chen and Yu-ying Tsai of ZJJZ. Your work is making an impact and creating discourse around our region and indeed the world and changing perceptions of design.
ZJJZ
zjjz.com
Milliken
milliken.com
Photography
Courtesy of ZJJZ


We think you might like this article celebrating the complete list of 2022 INDE.Awards winners.
INDESIGN is on instagram
Follow @indesignlive
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
At 3daysofdesign 2026, AHEC’s immersive exhibition traced the journey of American hardwood from forest to finished product.
Aeron Chair’s new shades, Nightfall and Jasper, arrive with a sense of quiet cohesion – no bells and whistles, no loud technicolour; just two timeless, perfectly versatile near-neutrals. But the new hues aren’t just about colour – and their significance is much more profound than their surface-level subtlety might suggest.
The newest brand to emerge from Cosentino’s creative crucible is Ēclos, a next-generation mineral surface that embodies the organic beauty and tactility of marble in a precision-mineral surface or material.
As Woven Image celebrates 40 years, it introduces a new collection developed in collaboration with Australian artist Ben Goss, inspired by his original artwork Where the Kookaburra Sits into a vibrant collection of digitally printed EchoPanel® murals and patterns.
The latest print magazine is about to arrive! In this issue, Guest Editor Andrew Tu’inukuafe & Barrington Gohns of Warren and Mahoney push us to think, consider and collaborate.
Discover the Aotearoa New Zealand architects and designers shortlisted in the 2026 INDE.Awards, celebrating outstanding regional design excellence.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
TURNER’s first major UK project brings together more than 400 apartments, retail and communal spaces in a Brentford precinct shaped by view corridors and infrastructure.
Following a successful exhibition at San Marco Art Centre (SMAC) in Venice, a retrospective exhibition on the work and life of preeminent Australian architect Harry Seidler is open at the University of Sydney’s Chau Chak Wing Museum.
After two decades of creative partnership, Kim Colin and Sam Hecht of Industrial Facility step into a joint role as Herman Miller’s Global Creative Directors – a reminder that the brand’s ethos isn’t defined solely by their products, but also by the quiet thread of thought that shapes the space in-between, crafting a purposeful, human-centric and enduring trajectory.